CARISMA in brief

Ensuring that human-induced climate change does not lead to a global mean temperature rise of more than 2oC since pre-industrial levels requires substantial emission reductions, leading to low- or even zero-emission economies and societies. Realizing this is extremely challenging and requires a great variety of decision-makers to simultaneously overcome economic feasibility, technology availability and social acceptance issues of identified climate solutions.

CARISMA supports the development and diffusion of options for climate change mitigation, both technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-friendly technologies and practices often already exist, yet for several reasons they do not enter the mainstream. Decision-makers in the public and private sectors alike are, for a variety of reasons, inclined to continue the high-carbon status quo. This holds for already developed technologies and practices, as well as for technologies and practices that are untested or in the research phase.

Through extensive engagement with the policy-making and business communities, CARISMA aims to help them better understand these reasons with a specific focus on:

Research and innovation, including international cooperation, around climate change mitigation options;

Existing mitigation policies and how these interact with other environmental and climate policies;

How the success of policies for climate change mitigation depends on their socio-economic implementation contexts and policy implementation cycles.

Objectives

Τhe CARISMA project objectives are to achieve the following:

Improved identification of priorities for research and innovation on climate change mitigation options.

Improved coordination of research and innovation in climate change mitigation-related programmes and projects, including those on climate change mitigation policy and governance.

Greater awareness and understanding among policymakers of relevant attributes, features and economic, environmental, social and ethical implications of existing and new climate change actions, including technologies, practices, policies and measures in EU Member States, Associated Countries and beyond.

Improved and context-relevant decision-making on climate change mitigation policies that leads to greater investment certainty in the private sector for climate change mitigation options and greater risks for climate-harmful investments.

Identification and analysis of opportunities to strengthen European engagement in international research and innovation collaboration, policy diffusion and market creation for climate mitigation technologies.

Work structure

The structure and relations of the WPs are graphically depicted in the Figure below.

Expected results

The major outputs and expected impacts of CARISMA project are the following, per main target audience:

The public sector: more evidence-based policy for implementation of the EU 2050 Roadmap and relevant initiatives through improved dissemination of key research findings. In particular, improved and more appropriate decisions on research and innovation of climate change mitigation options. In general, more cost-effective management and planning.

Business and Industry: enhanced impact of climate change mitigation R&I activities. Improved competitiveness. cost-effective management, planning and adaptation decisions, and improved assistance and clearer vision for a transformation to a sustainable and resilient industry base in the EU.

Research community: better coordination of relevant research and innovation in the EU, including cooperation with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

Science funders and innovation decision-makers: better identification of climate change R&I priorities, improved coordination of EU, Member States' research and innovation programmes and funded activities. Enhanced impact of research and innovation activities through, and synergies with international research and innovation programmes and actions.

Other Material

The CARISMA Institutional Presentation has been developed presenting the project overview, the methodological framework to be followed and the main outputs and expected results derived from project’s implementation.